Sit before you buy
Before you buy your next shirt, sit down when you try it on to get a more accurate fit. Your belly slightly distends when you are sitting and this is how you should determine if that “slim fit” cut is a little too tight and you need to go a size up.
Iron inside out
When ironing a button-up shirt, flip it inside out to easily iron over the button side. Or, just buy a steamer and avoid ironing altogether.
Hair straightener for your cuffs and collar
Want to firm up that collar or quickly add the crease back into those pants? Just dampen it and borrow your girlfriend’s hair straightener on it.
Freshen clothes in the bathroom
Try showering with your wrinkly item in the steamy bathroom with you. It often gets rid of the wrinkles. This is great for freshening up your suit!
Put the dryer to work
If your item is dryer safe, you can also try throwing it in the dryer with a damp towel. This also helps release odors. Or you can toss the wrinkled shirt into the dryer with an a few ice cubes. This works just as well.
Let the press set
Remember to wait five minutes before putting on clothes you’ve just ironed. Let the press set or else you’ll risk making new wrinkles in it.
Pop your collar
Collar curl is annoying and ruins the look of your polo. You can prevent collar curl on your polos by popping the collar when you take it out of the wash and then laying it out flat to air dry.
Unshrink your T-shirt
If you find that your t-shirt shrank in the wash, soak it in a bath of hot water and hair conditioner for five minutes, then carefully stretch it back into shape.
Erase red wine stains
Did you accidentally get a red wine stain? Use white wine to counteract it. You read that right. Remove a red wine stain by gently blotting it with a cloth soaked in white wine. Salute.
Erase yellow sweat stains
Speaking of stains, do you have those annoying yellow stains on your white shirts? To remove yellow sweat stains from white shirts, spray the affected areas with lemon juice before you put them in the wash.
Staple hems
Do your pants need a quick hem? Use a stapler to make a quick hem and then use a sharpie on the metal to hide the shine. This works great in a pinch until you can fix the problem.
Clean Suede
To clean dirt off suede, remove the crust from a piece of bread and allow it to become stale. Gently rub the stain with the edge of the stale bread, and it will disappear. The stale bread crusts soaks up stains and oils too.
Remove oil stains
If you get an oil stain your clothes, leave baby powder on it overnight and then wash as usual. You may have to repeat the process. Dishwashing liquid is also great to lift any grease stains and it’s gentle enough to be used on clothes.
Buff with olive oil
For leather products, or shoes, you truly care about, use leather oil, but for a quick-fix, olive oil works great
Or buff with a banana peel
If you are in a pinch, you can shine your leather, or shoes, with the inside of a banana peel. Just remember to buff it afterwards with a soft cloth. If you’re also in a pinch for a soft cloth, an old sock will do the trick.
Improve your belt lifespan
Speaking of leather, belts may look tough, but they need TLC. Hang your belt vertically and away from direct light. Coiling it can crack the leather and sunlight can fade it over time.
Unfunk your shoes
Do your shoes smell? Use baking soda to soak up the smell.
Unfunk your clothes
You can also spritz a little vodka onto smelly clothes to neutralize and kill odor causing bacteria.
Unfunk your breath — without breathmints
Clothes won’t get you any closer to that girl if your breath wreaks. Before leaving the restaurant, grab a good sprig of fresh parsley and start chewing. This herb is rich with chlorophyll – a great anti-mutagen and wonderful deodoriser.
Make your own after-shave
After-shave should be an important part of your routine. It contains an antiseptic agent (usually denatured alcohol, stearate citrate or witch hazel) to prevent infection of cuts, as well as to act as an astringent to reduce skin irritation. But few people know you can quickly and easily make your own with only: 1/2 cucumber, 4 tsp of mint extract and 1/2 cup of water. Blend all the ingredients together, strain the mixture, refrigerate and use.
Rule for life
Your tie width matters and thus you should know how to pick the right width. 2 and ½ inches is considered a modern cut, anything under 2 inches is considered a skinny tie and anything over 3 inches is considered a wide tie. You need to know that your tie width should ALWAYS be in proportion to your lapels. The wider your lapels are, the wider your necktie CAN be.
